I used to fret about getting older when I was in my 20s. I have one more year until I turn 40 now, and I am having mixed feelings about it. There's not really much I can do though, that birthday is coming weather I like it or not!

I completely lost my sh*t when I turned 25 (Quarter life crisis perhaps?) and every birthday since has just been wonderful. I was so excited about turning 30, I was really ready for what the next decade held and felt that my 20s were a wonderful chapter of life that I was ready to be able to reflect on. I also think that my mom was so beautiful in her 30s (her 50s were pretty killer too) and I see aging as a privilege--certainly better than the alternative. ;)

I love birthdays (I'm 31), I think it is really special that everyone has one day a year that they are celebrated. Aging is an accomplishment, not something to be upset about - if you're not having a birthday, then you're having a funeral. I'll take birthday :)

My next birthday is 30. A few years ago, I was really scared about being 30 and not married (which is silly). As fate would have it, I don´t have to face my fear because I´m getting married in July, just in time :)

Joanna, I loved your NYC Date photos this week. My husband and I were just talking about dream destinations, places we'd love to visit one day if we can afford to, and New York was at the top of both of our lists!! ;-)

I freaked out when I turned 26. I hadn't found a full-time teaching job yet, my boyfriend and I were the only ones in our group of friends to not be engaged or married yet, I didn't have much money, and I hadn't done a lot of the traveling I had planned on doing by the time I got to that age. Lo and behold, a few months into being 26 I found a full-time teaching job, my boyfriend proposed and he and I have now gone on a bunch of small trips and one honeymoon. I've learned to chill out so much more since then and I've enjoyed getting older with each subsequent birthday. :)

I'm turning 18 on Sunday and I'm going through such anxiety over getting older. I somehow can't get over the fact that I will be able to do all of these things without legal consent from my parents. I mean, I could get MARRIED and not even have to tell them about it. Flip.

I hated turning 26 but at the same time I look forward to my 30s. I think it depends on what I accomplish,it bummed me out because "omg I'm turning 26 and I haven't done anything! I have nothing to show for it!"

I just had my birthday last week and turned 29. I finally feel like I have caught up with how old I feel (sort of). I have always felt older than my actual age, even when I was a child (had to grow up fast). My actual birthday is always a disappointment to me. Not sure exactly why, I think it may be that I never had parties for my birthday when I was a child and now that I'm an adult and can celebrate however I want, it still doesn't make those negative birthday memories from childhood resolve or go away. I wish I could feel like a birthday princess, but those days are past me now. At least I made a cake with bright pink buttercream this year. ;)

Wow, 27 scared me as well. That was a tough one! Definitely my worst so far. But then, 28 was amazing. I wish I could just keep turning 28 for the rest of my life. I'll be 30 in September and I'm nervous. I love my late 20's. I have to keep reminding myself that 27 terrified me, but it turned out to be a wonderful year and 30 is going to be the same.

27 was the worst for me too! For some reason, when I was little, I always had 27 in my head as the age that made you "old," so when I hit that, I lost it a little. Now, 28 is fact approaching, and for some reason, I'm not nearly as weirded out about that.

I lost my head at 27 too! (this past October). As I said to my mom... I felt like life was "done" - I had graduated college, got a "real" job, got married, and I don't want children.. so it was like "what is there left to look forward to?" Sometimes, I still say that, but I've gotten a better grip on it hehe. We'll see how 28 goes, though!

I had a hard time with 27 too - I felt like it represented my passage into the 'late twenties'- and panicked because I didn't have things figured out yet. Heading into 29 I embrace the uncertainty - not totally grown-up yet!

27 was my hard age too! I turned 30 last year, and it was a piece of cake compared to 27! I think the late 20's have to be the worse....just thinking about what's to come. I've heard 31 is tough too (because you're for reaaaal in your 30's), but I ain't skeeered. :P

I just turned 24 last Monday and had the major age-freakout!But only because this year came along with my little baby sister turning 16 (Jesus Christ..) and the sudden realization that I won't be a student anymore after summer. This kind of struck hard, haha.

One of the most beautiful women I ever met was a 70-something Peace Corps volunteer who lived life with such gusto and verve that it irradiated her face. When we asked her what her life philosophy was, she replied adamantly that it was always to move forward, keep turning corners, never look back or live in the past. By that point in her life you can be sure she'd dealt with her share of sorrow and heartbreak, yet she invariably had a zest for the future and for adventure that propelled her forward: she traveled extensively, went to plays with her grandson and his girlfriend, football games and rounds of golf with her friends, and volunteered with several community organizations. So, so cool, and so impressive. I resolved then that that was the way I wanted to be about my birthdays: setting goals, always turning those corners, having some kind of little adventure every day, plus making bucket list items happen—and hopefully never being afraid of what the future might bring, but accepting all of it as part of a life fully lived.

It's so funny you say you randomly freaked out when you turned 27. Birthdays have never scared me or made me feel old, but for some odd reason this year, turning 27, I very suddenly feel like I'm truly getting old(er). It feels like an age at which I should definitely have my stuff together. Thankfully, I'm happily married, living abroad, working a great job and thinking about babies hopefully in the nearish future - so I guess I'm doing alright :)

This may sound really stupid and immature but I felt really old when I turned 21 - I just felt that I hadn't accomplished anything great and that I hadn't done anything special with my life. After a couple of drinks, I felt better though :)

i am really shocked at all these people who are sad or burdened at their age/birthday!!?? i look forward to my b'day every year, and i am 45! i treat each b'day as a huge loving happy celebration. I loved turning 40, i felt great and looked young (i thought)...i turned 40 on the beach with my 2 little kids -- great, great day. ...My best friend died last year at 42, a slow horrid death from cancer and she would have done ANYTHING to stay here, even one more year. You get one ride girls. Enjoy. oh my god - quit being sad and scared and whining that you're 21, or 25, or 27 ??!!!!

I've always considered age a badge of honour; the longer you've been on the planet, the better you are at life (survival, anyway)! My grandmother turned 90 last month - what a badass!! So I look forward to my birthday every year. (I love presents! And the party!) And I wish it wasn't awkward to ask an adult woman her age, because I'm getting to the age (I'm 32) where I'm not supposed to ask or answer, and sometimes (okay, often) I'm just curious and I want to KNOW; it's about placing people in context, you know?

If you think Ray`s story is super,, two weaks-ago my sis also got a cheque for $6041 workin fourteen hours a week from there apartment and their best friend's step-mother`s neighbour did this for seven months and got a cheque for over $6041 in there spare time on line. the instructions on this site...... BIT40.COm

Carson. if you think Ray`s rep0rt is super, on wednesday I got a gorgeous Mazda MX-5 from having earned $4761 this-past/five weeks and-even more than, 10k lass-month. no-doubt about it, this really is my favourite work I've ever had. I started this five months/ago and pretty much straight away began to bring in over $72 per hour. I use this website...... BIT40.COm

YES!I feel like I need to show these birthday candles to my parents and basically everyone else in my family. We've never really been much for celebrating specific ages (we tend to just celebrate another year of living and being generally awesome) and something like this would definitely get a good chuckle out of everyone :)

I was a little weirded out by 27 as well. In fact, a few months after that milestone, I forgot I was only 27 and kept referring to myself (to acquaintances in imaginary conversations in my head) as a 28-yr old. Eek! I think part of the reason is that my mom was married at 27, and my boyfriend and I were not anywhere near that point in our relationship.

Birthday candles birthday party as a whole. Its only the whole mood to add to the magic light as well as special cake that is not used. There are some traditions that are associated with the birthday candles.